Work On Aquatics Centre Starts Two Months Earlier Than Planned.
| Published: 17th July 2008 16:51 |
Work to build the foundations for the Aquatics Centre has started two
months earlier than planned.
The venue will form a stunning gateway to the Olympic Park
both during and after the Games and will provide new world-class
swimming facilities that London is currently lacking.
The announcement comes as the Olympic Delivery Authority
(ODA) outlined its progress against the 10 milestones it set out
in April 2007 to achieve by the Beijing 2008 Games.
Virtually all these milestones have been completed on time,
including the tunnelling and cabling project to allow power for
the Park to be switched underground. More than 200km of
electrical cabling has been installed into the two 6km long
tunnels. The completion of the tunnels will enable over 50
overhead pylons to be taken down across the Park.
More than 190 buildings have been demolished across the
Park to make way for construction to start on three of the
five main venues - the Olympic Stadium, the Olympic Village
and now the Aquatics Centre.
The ODA has now published the 10 new milestones that it aims
to achieve by 27 July 2009 - three years from the Opening
Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. These include
the removal of the overhead pylons across the Park and the
completion of the foundations of the Olympic Stadium and
Aquatics Centre.
Olympics Minister, Tessa Jowell said:
‘The Aquatics Centre will provide desperately needed
swimming and diving facilities for elite and community use
and leave a lasting sporting and social legacy that will benefit
east London and beyond for many years. ‘The ODA should also
be congratulated on delivering virtually all its major milestones
to Beijing. This should inspire confidence as we move in to the
next crucial big build stage of the project.'
